Chapter Twenty: Entropy
If there was one thing Gabriel hated, which he was certain was shared by all his counterparts, was leaving things in the hands of others–or worse, up to fate. This had not been helped by year after year of Akumas failing to do their job and capture Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous, frustrating him to no end. Of course, he had not been much more successful on the few times he took matters into his own hands, he reminded himself.
Still, he wished there was more he could do. The four of them had managed to bring Death's Head to justice, and he trusted the Director when she said they would find a way to bring back the destroyed timelines, but such things happening outside of his control was frustrating beyond measure.
And yet, he also reminded himself that, in what would have seemed alien to himself of several days ago, he found himself concerned for all of the universes Death's Head had eradicated, not just his own. Adrien's wellbeing no longer solely dominated his thoughts…but was that only because each reality had its own Adrien? In any case, it was a marked improvement–one that he hoped would make him a better father when his dimension was restored.
But that brought with itself another problem.
After a little while of aimlessly waiting on a balcony, Gabriel was joined by another wanderer. "There you are. I was wondering where you want," said Marinette. "Why'd you wander off? We were all talking about what to do next."
"Because I wouldn't have anything to add," he said. "There is nothing more we can do. The threat has been neutralized, we have no homes to return to–all we can do is remain here in the Warren until Alix's friends at the ITAA come up with a solution. Unless you thought of a way we can help in my absence?"
Marinette awkwardly looked around when he looked at her. "Um…no, not really. All that came up was talking about what the Ripplers are up to now." She stood next to him, looking out at the multiverse that stretched far into the distance. "What was your Adrien like?"
"He was a better son, and a better man, than someone like me deserved," Gabriel said wistfully. "Always willing to help others, no matter the cost to himself. Looking back, it is obvious he would be chosen to hold the ring of the black cat. And obvious that his kindness allowed others to take advantage of him. Chloe…Lila…myself…"
Given her own experience with Gabriel(s), Marinette didn't respond to that. "Sounds about right," she said instead. "Sounds a lot like our Adrien. And mine…" She sighed. "I still can't believe he's gone."
"Neither can any of us," Gabriel responded. "All we can do is put our faith in the ITAA and their experience with interdimensional matters. Though I do wonder…what do you plan on doing when your reality is restored?"
"Huh? I never really thought of it," she replied. "I guess I just assumed things'd go back to normal. Just me and Cat Noir, protecting Paris as usual." She suddenly went silent. "But would restoring the timeline mean…that Hawkmoth still made his wish?"
It was a thought that hadn't occurred to Gabriel, either. "Perhaps…but your Gabriel was destroyed by a Rippler, if you'll recall. Myself and Adrien made our wishes without such interruptions. Perhaps once the universes are restored, yours will remain unchanged while ours will be altered accordingly. Of course, what that means for the two of us remains to be seen."
"Oh yeah, Adrien did say he wished for there to have been no Miraculous," said Marinette. "Wonder what that world'll be like? But what did you mean by 'for the two of us?' Did something happen to you, too?"
"Indeed." Gabriel gazed out at the multiverse. "Due to overuse of the damaged peacock Miraculous, my Nathalie became deathly ill. I had a choice: save her, or resurrect Emilie, as I had sought to do since I first became Hawkmoth. Thanks to your counterpart, I made the only choice I could. I used the wish to give my own life for Nathalie's."
"And you think that when your universe is fixed…you'll disappear," Marinette realized. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments after that. She wanted to assure him something like that couldn't happen, as he'd done for her, but she was just as uncertain as him. "Maybe the Director knows something."
Gabriel grunted. "And even if she does, what would the point be? The wish was made. Everyone would know I am dead, as well as Hawkmoth. I could never return home, never see Adrien again. All I could do is watch him from afar."
"Not to sound rude, but…wasn't that kinda what you did anyway?" replied Marinette. "I'm sure he'll be fine, now that he has Nathalie looking after him. And not to imply that he'll be happier without you, but maybe with more freedom in his life, he'll be more outgoing, less easily-manipulated, and a better Cat Noir overall. You were kinda controlling."
Rather than becoming angry at Marinette's comments, Gabriel found himself agreeing with her. "Yes, I think you're right. When all is said and done, Adrien is probably better off without me. At the very least, even if I can never speak to him again, I hope I can at least see the fine man he grows into before I fade away."
"Well, if he's anything like the Adrien back there…I'm sure he'll turn out just fine," said Marinette.
"Indeed," Gabriel agreed. "And speaking of which, I believe you were discussing our next move? Perhaps we should regroup with the others to continue that conversation."
"Sounds like a plan!" Marinette and Gabriel headed back inside the Warren to meet up with Alix and Adrien, only to find that the interior was oddly quiet. "Huh, where is everyone? This place was packed just a moment ago."
The silence did not strike Gabriel as natural. "Hmm. Was the Warren placed on lockdown? And if so, why were we not aware?" He turned his gaze all around the corridor they walked down, as though expecting to be ambushed.
Not long after, they reached the main atrium. As the silence before indicated, the massive room was entirely empty. "What the? Okay, the hallway being empty I could understand, but there's no way everybody just cleared out in a few minutes!" said Marinette. "You don't think that…?"
She didn't need to finish: Gabriel knew what she was implying, and he did indeed think so. "Look for signs of a struggle," he said, stepping further into the room. "Especially ones that involve localized Cataclysms." He began searching for just that, although most of the room was surprisingly spotless.
Marinette noticed something by the other wall. "Hey, look: one of the grates fell off. Or more likely, it was forced off." She went to get a closer look, and found that there wasn't any sign of decay on the bars. Someone, or something, had likely crawled through. As ill-advised as it was, she peered into the darkness within the vent.
At first, she didn't see anything. Just pitch black, going further and further back. But the more she looked, the more it looked like the darkness was moving. As she leaned in closer, a pair of glowing purple pinpricks looked back at her.
The Rippler lunged out of the vent, tackling Marinette to the ground. Its hands gripped her shoulders, burning her like hot irons. She cried out: "Gabriel! Help!"
Immediately leaping into action, Gabriel darted towards her. "Nooroo, wings rise!" The moment he became Hawkmoth, he hurled his sword at the Rippler, pinning it against the wall, where it dissolved. "Are you alright?" he asked, helping her up.
"Fine," she said, wincing when she checked her burns. "I left my bat with the others. We'll have to go and–the others! We need to make sure they're okay!"
Hawkmoth pried his sword from the wall. "Right. Stay behind me!" They made their way through the facility, Marinette directing him where to go. A few more Ripplers tried to block their way, but he made short work of them. No longer silent, the Warren was now filled with blaring alarms, as well as the sounds of combat.
Slicing a Rippler in half, Gabriel sped down the hallway. "This makes no sense! How could Death's Head have escaped?" he wondered aloud.
"Maybe he didn't," suggested Marinette. "Maybe his Ripplers just showed up to break him out. Once we regroup, we've gotta get down to where they're holding him!"
Once they made it through the next hallway, there was movement to their left. Gabriel pointed his sword in that direction, only for the source to put up his hands. "Woah! Easy, it's just us!" said Blackbug.
"There you guys are!" said Marinette. "I was worried when those Ripplers showed up."
"You were worried? A bunch of Akumas came out of the vents and started mutating everybody! How do you think we felt!?" said Alix. "Here, I think you're gonna need this." She tossed Marinete her bat.
Marinette caught the weapon, relieved to feel its grip in her grasp once more. "Good to be back. So what's the plan?"
Blackbug and Alix glanced at each other. "We were hoping you had one," he said. "These things just came out of nowhere! It was hard to think about anything other than getting to safety."
"Now that we are all together, our top priority should be locating the source of these Ripplers," said Gabriel. "And given recent events…I can think of only one place that source might be. Come on!" He led the group further down the Warren, towards where they ran their tests.
The hordes of Bunnyxes were engaged in a ferocious battle with the Ripplers, each of whom was one of their transformed comrades. The Bunnyxes had power over time, but the Ripplers had sheer numbers. Every one of them that fell soon after added another to the Ripplers' army.
"This isn't good," said Alix, watching the scene unfold with horror. "They'll never be able to fight off all those Ripplers!"
"We might not be able to," said Adrien. "Not without an army of our own, at least."
His comment gave Gabriel an idea. "An army… I believe I know a way for us to get one!" He opened his cane, allowing an un-corrupted Akuma to fly out. "Son–Er, Adrien, hold out your weapon!"
Though initially wary, Adrien held out his nunchucks, allowing the Akuma to fly into it. The weapon began to glow with a pure white light, and a mask appeared over his face.
"Puritas, you wield the powers of creation and destruction. I give you the ability to purify that which Death's Head has sullied! Remind the Ripplers who they used to be!" declared Gabriel.
In a flash, Blackbug transformed. The black in his outfit was replaced with pure white, and the red became a glowing green. His ears and tail extended, with his bell glowing gold as it let out a resounding peal. He was now Puritas.
Noticing the change, a few of the Ripplers scurried towards the group. "Remember yourselves." Puritas flicked his bell, which released a glowing wave as it rang. The Ripplers' black and purple forms began to quiver, soon becoming bright white. Their magenta eyes turned the same green as Puritas'. They stopped their charge right then, stepping back and looking expectantly up at him, as though awaiting a command.
"So, can he just do that with all of 'em?" Alix wondered aloud. "Nevermind, we'll find out later. Right now we've gotta get through!" She readied her umbrella for combat.
Puritas extended his hand, directing the Ripplers under his control. "Go! Aid your brethren!" The purified beings rushed off to aid the Bunnyxes that remained, tackling some of their former fellows to the ground. He turned to the others. "We don't say the word 'brethren' as often as we should."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Marinette, charging into the fray. With her bat she carved a path through the Ripplers, the other three close behind. As more of them closed in, Puritas rang his bell, purging them of their corruption as well. They had amassed a sizable army by the time they reached the other side of the skirmish.
Alix and Gabriel were back-to-back, fending off more incoming foes. "Everyone, come on, this way!" shouted the former, ushering the Bunnyxes towards (relative) safety. "Time to go, people, let's move!"
"And where exactly are we supposed to go!?" shouted one of them. "The Ripplers have overrun the entire Warren!"
"Then the Warren is lost," Gabriel answered. "Unless we can find and destroy Death's Head before this continues. Has he managed to escape yet?"
As though waiting for him to ask, a rasping voice echoed through the halls. "Mmm…now that depends on who you ask. After all, can it truly be called escape if I wanted to be here all along?"
The quad froze, the sound making the hair on the back of their necks stand up. Down the hallway, a figure ascended the staircase, flanked by another battalion of Ripplers. They stood behind him as though held by unseen leashes, despite clearly being eager to join the slaughter. Death's Head's crooked grin came into view, as he dragged a shape behind him. He lifted it up, revealing it to be a Bunnyx slowly succumbing to his touch. The hapless individual soon dissolved into dust, Death's Head showing obvious joy in the group's terrified reactions.
"But yes, in layman's terms, I suppose I did 'escape.'" Death's Head continued making his way towards them at a leisurely pace. Of course, it was hard to tell exactly how close he was, given how he flickered in and out of view–not to mention seeming to occasionally flicker back or forth in time. "And in a matter of minutes, I've managed to dismantle the entirety of the ITAA's forces! Not bad for a rickety old man, wouldn't you say?" His bones cracked as he turned his head around, crawling forward on his back.
Rather than wait for him to finish his spiel, Puritas sent his own Ripplers forward, clashing with those of Death's Head. Black and white churned into a spotted sea, one that Death's Head simply strolled through. He destroyed any Rippler that got in his way, be it changed or not, with his eyes fixed on the party. Refusing to back down from his predatory gaze, Gabriel drew his blade.
Death's Head moved to lunge, but before he could reach them, a shape zipped past, striking him as it did so. "If that's what a 'rickety old man' can do, why don't we see what this 'tough old bird is capable of?" said the Director, brandishing her umbrella. Unfazed by the strike, Death's Head leapt onto the wall, scrambling towards her before pouncing. The Director simply rewound her own time, leading to him missing. She then continued forward, hitting him once again. "Is everyone alright?"
"We saved everyone we could," said Alix. "The place has warp-blockers going, right?"
"Yes, but they can still get out the old-fashioned way, which is no doubt where he's heading." Death's Head once again lunged at her. She opened her umbrella to block, holding him at bay, though his powers slowly began eating away at the canopy. "I'll hold him back–go!"
Though reluctant to leave her behind, Alix obliged. "Come on, you heard the lady!" She and the rest of the heroes led the survivors back the way they came, no doubt towards the 'old-fashioned way' that the Director mentioned. Death's Head's remaining Ripplers were kept back by Puritas' as they continued on.
"Where exactly are we going?" asked Marinette as they ran. "I know you know this place like the back of your hand, but could you enlighten the rest of us?"
"Sure," Alix replied. "There's a portal just up ahead that can take us to any timeline. It works even with warp-blockers engaged, so it acts like a sort of emergency exit, which is exactly what we need right now!"
With Puritas' legions keeping the Ripplers at bay, the group, accompanied by the remaining Bunnyxes, made their way into a large room overlooking a section of the multiverse. In the center were two pylons rising out of the floor, with a raised platform in between. "I trust you can get it up and running?" asked Gabriel, as Alix approached a control console.
"No need–everyone! Let's do this single file! If your timeline's already been Death's-Headed, grab a buddy!" She pressed a single button, and the machine roared to life. Electricity sparked between the two towers, before a swirling mass of energy appeared before them. The Bunnyxes stepped up to the platform, where the towers scanned them, before leaping into the portal. "Okay, since all of your dimensions are…screwed, we'll head to mine, regroup, and–"
The wall was smashed apart as two figures tumbled into the room, grappling with one another. While Death's Head and the Director fought, more Ripplers poured in, heading for the portal. "Not today!" cried Adrien, diving in front of them. With a melodic sound, they were under his control. With some effort, he forced them towards their former master.
Marinette noticed that Adrien appeared to be struggling a bit. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Fine," he said. "Controlling this many Ripplers at once is a bit harder than I expected. I'll be alright!" His new minions converged on Death's Head, piling on top of him as the Director disengaged.
Her suit and weapon had been Cataclysmed several times, but it seemed she had yet to be touched fatally. "You're done, Gabriel. Surrender, and we can find a way to right your wrongs." She pointed her umbrella at him as the white Ripplers pinned him to the floor.
He struggled against the mass of bodies holding him down. "My wrongs?" he scoffed. "Oh, dear old Director…if only your precious little band of heroes knew just how much you were responsible for this mess! Do you think they'd so naively look up to you if they were aware?"
Slowly, Alix turned to her older self. "Director…what does he mean? How are you 'responsible' for this?" The Director turned away in shame, clearly guilty about whatever Death's Head was insinuating. "Well?"
"We can't focus on this now!" cried Adrien. "He's trying to distract us from–Argh!" He suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his head. Marinette ran to his side.
With Puritas overwhelmed, Death's Head had an opening. The Ripplers atop him suddenly went slack, lost without a controller. He smirked, and unleashed a wave of destruction that atomized them, and threw the Director to the floor. "Why don't you ask her yourself? I could explain everything, but I have a reunion with Gimmi to get to." With that, he vanished, his crooked smile the last thing they saw.
Gabriel helped the Director up. "I'd suggest you explain yourself, but I think we have more pressing matters at the moment." He drew his sword, as multiple Ripplers began to crawl out of the walls. The five of them converged, their backs to each other.
"I do owe you an explanation," she said. "Once we are free and clear, I'll tell you everything." She cleaved an incoming Rippler in half with her umbrella, before blocking another with its canopy.
Protecting Puritas, Marinette thrashed every Rippler that came close, moving like a woman possessed. "You're sure you're okay?" she asked. "You don't look okay!"
"No, I feel fine," he answered, even though he clearly didn't. Despite this, he soldiered through the pain, whipping his nunchucks at any Rippler that got past Marinette. "I just have…too many…" He looked ready to pass out any second.
"Gabriel! I think something's wrong with Adrien!" she shouted. Hearing this, Gabriel darted over, slicing several Ripplers as he went. With a snap of his fingers, the Akuma left him, and Puritas reverted to Blackbug.
Now without the burden of the Ripplers' twisted minds, Adrien was good as new. "Why did you do that?" he asked. "I told you, I was fine."
"You very clearly weren't," said Gabriel. "Perhaps Death's Head's influence is too powerful for one man to overcome…"
As the Director continued fighting, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed one of the Ripplers approaching the control panel. Whatever it had been sent to do, it couldn't be good. Alix was closer–"Alix! The console!" she shouted. Hearing her, Bunnyx sped over to destroy the Rippler–leaving the Director isolated from the other four in the process.
See could sense him before she could see him–that electricity in the air, like before a thunderstorm. She gripped her umbrella tightly, before spinning around to face him. Moments before she struck, she froze. His grinning face was right up against hers, and his hand was digging into her side. She let out a choked gasp before staggering back, unable to continue standing.
"NO!" Alix darted towards Death's Head, but he disappeared into the floor before she could strike him. Instead, she turned to the Director, gently lowering her to the ground. "No, no, please tell me you can fix this!"
She coughed. "I'm afraid…that's not something I can do," she said. Gabriel, Marinette, and Adrien rushed over to her side, with the Ripplers seeming to withdraw. "I knew that…that this would happen eventually."
"What do you mean? How did you know?" asked Gabriel, thinking back to what Death's Head had said. "Are you telling me you knew what he was capable of?"
Alix's heart sank even further. "No…no, you can't mean…"
"Oh, she means." Death's Head had appeared by the portal, his Ripplers by his side. "You've propped her up on a pedestal your whole life, and she's been lying to you this entire time! You can all call me a monster all you like…but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Why don't you ask her what that means? While you still can." He grabbed one of his Ripplers, holding it up to the scanner. The portal shifted, and he ushered his legions through. "Please excuse me, but I really must be off!" He stepped through as well, leaving the five of them alone.
Alix returned to the Director's side. "What does he mean? There's no way you knew about him, you couldn't have! This is my fault, not yours!"
"Alix…this was never your fault," he said, raising a hand to her younger self's face. "It….was mine. It was always mine. Your Gabriel may have taken the power of creation and transmission on his own, but I am the reason he became Death's Head."
A pit opened up in Gabriel's stomach. "So this whole time, you knew?" The emptiness started to be replaced with rage. "You knew this whole time what was ravaging our homes, and you said nothing!?"
"I had my suspicions, but I couldn't be certain," she said. She was growing steadily more pale. "I always knew he was dangerous…but I never could have imagined just how dangerous."
"So, when you say you created him…what do you mean?" asked Adrien. "What exactly were your 'good intentions?'"
She coughed, black dust emerging from her lungs. "When your Gabriel faded from existence, he fell through reality. We found him drifting through the void, barely alive, barely in one piece. He had been completely untethered from any dimension…and we wanted to know how. So I ordered him brought back to the Warren. I ordered him to be fixed, so we could discover his secrets."
Behind her look of despair, Alix's eyes seemed hollow. "And you never told me."
The Director shook her head weakly. "In repairing him, we unlocked the full potential of his power. Upon awakening, he seemed scared, confused, lost in a world not his own. When I tried to calm him…he lashed out, killing some of my Bunnyxes before disappearing once more. I had everything covered up, sending scouts to search for him. All of them disappeared."
Marinette knew the Director the least out of all of them, but even she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "...Death's Head was right. You really are to blame."
"I can't ask you to make up for my mistakes," she continued weakly, "but I can wish you courage and luck on your journey. If you hate me, think of me as a villain…I understand. I deserve it. But believe me when I say I never wanted any of this to happen. Please…stop Death's Head…find…Genesis…"
With these final words, she was gone. Her eyes closed, and the rest of her body dissolved into dust in Alix's hands. Gabriel gripped the head of his cane, fighting an internal battle between anger and sympathy. Alix only felt the latter, wiping her eyes as she got to her feet. "Come on," she said, approaching the portal.
She was right–this information didn't change anything in the long run. Death's Head was still out there, and it was up to them to stop him. "So, what's the plan?" asked Marinette.
"Same as it was last time," said Alix. "Find Death's Head, and put him in the ground. Only this time, we do it for real."
All four of them stepped up to the portal, knowing this could be their last battle. There was no longer an ITAA to save them if things went poorly: they were on their own. But on the other hand, hadn't they been from the beginning? Just four lost souls against countless worlds, and the man who could destroy them all.
And so, they once more stepped into the unknown, knowing that even if they couldn't win, they would fight to the last, as the Director's final words replayed in their heads.
'Genesis'...what could that mean?